Warp stop motion for looms



Nov. 9, 1937. E. w. BARRETT WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed Nov. 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

1937. E. w. BARRETT 7 2,098,560

WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed Nov. 6, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

J7 u I I u 17 WQ WK..W,

ATTORNEY;

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Warren Textile and Machinery Supply 00.,

Warren, R. I., a corporation of Rhode Island Application November 6, 1935, Serial No. 48,506

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to the well known mechanical or automatic stop motions which are used in looms for the purpose of stopping the loom when a warp thread breaks or becomes slack.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved warp stop motion having advantages over prior constructions. as regards its compactness and avoidance of undesired interference with the operations of the loom and of the weaver. Additional aims are to reduce and simplify the number and size of the parts, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture and the effort involved in setting and adjusting the parts into proper working relation, and to facilitate the work of installing a new warp in the loom.

To this end, the invention employs as detectors for the fallen drop-wires the known rocking type of feeler-bars which has the inherent advantage of being responsive with certainty to the fall of the relatively very light and flexible drop-wires necessitated in weaving fine counts of yarn. The parts intermediate the feeler-bars and the loom stopping devices are strong and rigid and positive in their drive and action, and are disposed wholly below the level of the warps and the vibrating lay and the breast beam and close against the side of the loom where they are out of the Way of the weaver and of the moving parts of the loom.

The parts involved in the driving and in the detecting of the arrest of the feeler-bars by fallen drop-wires are so contrived that the end-frames of the detecting unit or head are low and flat and devoid of angles and projecting parts, so that a the weaver has free access to the drop-wires to find the fallen one, and the end-frames and their accessories have been simplified so as to occupy the minimum of the available space between the loom sides to afiord the maximum amount of room for; the drop-wires, a necessity in weaving fabrics having a high count of warps and an advantage in piecing up. Also, the feeler-bars and separating bars are mounted in novel manner permitting quick and easy removal and replacement when a new warp is being inserted, the feeler-bars in particular being arranged to permit of their being withdrawn without displacing their bearing-blocks or swivels from the latters working positions in the end-portions.

Other aims of the invention, and the manner in which these aims are attained, are as set forth 1 hereinafter.

one side of a loom, showing the organization of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the warp stop mechanism of Fig. 1, without the driving and knockoff connections, and showing its manner of mounting on the loom sides.

Figs. 3 and 4 are an elevation and a plan view respectively of the means for removably retaining the rocking feeler-bars in operating relation in the end-frame.

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and elevational views respectively of similar means for removably holding the feeler-bars in operative relation in the opposite or driving end-frame.

Fig. '7 is a detail showing the manner of driving the rocking bars from the rockshait.

The detecting unit I of the improved warp stop is mounted in usual manner and in usual location on the horns 3 of the loom side, by means of side brackets 5 and intermediate brackets 1 providing for vertical and fore-and-aft adjustment of the unit in the loom. In the hubs 9 of the intermediate brackets are fixed by set screws II the supporting shafts I3 on the inward ends of which are fixed by set screws [6 the hubs l5 of the endframes IT, IQ of the detecting unit.

These end-frames H, H! are of substantially similar shape, being characteristically rectangular, low, and with their top surfaces flat and devoid of all excrescences. In the upper portion of these end-frames are formed cylindrical holes to serve as bearings for the bearing-members or swivels 2|, of known form, the appropriate number of bearings being provided to suit the needs of the particular warp stop motion desired, that illustrated being a four-bank motion. The swivels 2| as usual are slotted at their inward ends to fit the flat sides of the rocking-bars 23 which as hitherto are made out of round stock by fiatting two opposite sides thereof, the outward ends of the swivels being counterbored in excess of the diameter of the rocking-bars 23 and provided with integral flanges in the case of the non-driving end shown in Fig. 4, and having integral driving levers 25, Figs. 1 and 7, on the outward ends of the swivels occupying the driving end shown in Figs. 5 and 6, outwardly extending short pins 26. being fixed in the extremities of such levers.

On the outward surface of the end-frame H! at the non-driving end, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, there is provided a novel bar-retaining member 21 in which are formed holes 29 spaced on centers equalling the spacing-apart of the bearings for the swivels, and hence coinciding with the spacing of the several feeler-bars. These holes are larger in diameter than the rocking-bars 23, but smaller than the outside diameter of the flanges of the bearing members or swivels 2|, and the retaining member 2? is also provided with J-shaped slots 3i at each end whereby it is loosely mounted on screws 33 turned part way into low bosses on the two upper corners of end-frame I9 slightly exceeding in height the thickness of the flanges of the swivels. Thus with the rocking-bars in place the retaining member 21 is normally positioned as shown in Fig. 3 withthe shanks of the screws 33 occupying the top ends of the J-slots and the holes-:28 out of register with the passages through the swivels, so that the bars 23, which extend clear through the swivels, are blocked by the unperforatecl portion of the retaining member from endwise movement in this direction. But whenit is desiredto withdraw the bars, in order to insert anew warp, the retaining member is merely shifted manually upward and to the right in Fig. 3,so that the shanks of the screws 33 occupy the lower I ends of the J-slots and support the member with the'holes 29 in register with the axes of the respective'bars23, which may then be withdrawn endwise outwardlythrough their swivels and the respective holes 29. Since the flanges on the I swivels are larger than the holes 29, these swivels are at all times retained in place, and with avoidance of the effort formerly required to prevent withdrawal of the swivels withthe bars, or the nuisance of having them fall out of their bearings or OK the bars, to be lost. After the bars are reinserted, the retaining member 21 is restored to its illustrated position in Figs. 3 and 4.

At thedriving end, shownin Figs, 5 and 6, a slightly diiferent novel arrangement is provided. Since removal and replacement of the bars will ordinarily be effected at'the non-driving end because more easily done where there are no driving parts extending out to interfere, a simple swinging cap is provided having a pivot-pin 3'! extending through a hub 39 on 'the end-frame I! and secured by a cotter-pin 4|. This cap has Ha finger 43 which engages the fiat top surface of end-frame II to support this gravitating cap in its normal position shown in Fig. 6 in which the lobes register with the flanges on the driving swivels, blocking egressof the ends of the rods 23 in this direction and of course retaining the swivels in their working position in the bearings they occupy in the end-portion I'I. When it is I desired for any reason to extract the rods and of an arm 49 fixed by screw 5| on a rockshaft 53 journalled in a bearing 55 in one upper corner of the end-frame I I, the link 41 having a pin 51 which extends through the forked lower end of arm 49. The rockshaft 53 terminates just inside of the end-frame I I. This rockshaft is supported near its outer end in a bearing formed in the hub 6| of an arm 63 fixed by means of hub and set-screw 61 to an end of supporting shaft I3 which extends out beyond the loom-side, the

rockshaft being retained by a collar 59 setscrewed to it just inside hub 6i, and by the hub -of arm 49.

outwardly of the arm 63, an arm 65 is fixedly mounted on the rockshaft 53 by means of its hub II and a set-screw I3. On the extreme outward end of the rockshaft 53 is mounted the yielding driving arm I5, of known type in which the hub of the arm is free on the rockshaft but is spring-pressed against fiat faces of a hub that is fixed on the rockshaft, so as to constitute a give-way whenever the feeler-bars 23 are prevented from rotation through the fall of a drop-wire I'I.

, A gear I8, Fig. 1, on the end of the cam-shaft 8i outside of the loom side-frame drives a gear 83 of'twice'its'size which is mounted on stud 85 fixed on bracket 81 secured by bolt 89 to the loomside-frame. In gear 83 is fixed a crankpin 9'! on which is mounted rotatively a hub 99 of member I00, in the upper end of which is ad- 'ju'stably mounted through sleeve I 02 and setscrew..I04 the lower end of drive rod I03, the upper end of which is provided with an eye and connected to driving lever 75 by a stud I01 adjustably fixed in the slot of the lever. Thus the drive rod I06 yieldingly imparts a rocking movement of rockshaft 53 in both directions.

Since all the feeler-bars 23 are positively linked together and to the driving rockshaft 53, the arrest of one feeler-bar by a fallen drop-wire arrests the Whole mechanism as far as the arm I5 of the give-way.

From the fixed arm 69 on rockshaf t 53 depends a lifter wire I08, having its upper end hooked through a slot in the end of arm 69, and having its lower end run through a hole in a sleeve IIO on a member II2 pivoted at II4 to a constantly vibrating hook II6 which comprises the striker of the knock-01f mechanism provided to actuate the loom stop mechanism comprising the usual power-unshipping and brake mechanism, of which only the familiar shipper-handle M8 on its rockshaft I 28 is indicated, the remaining parts being well known and unnecessary to be described herein in order to understand the present invention.

The vibrating hook or striker H6 is pivoted at its forward end at I22 to the upper end of a lever I24 pivoted on a pin I26 on bracket 81, the lower end of the lever being held against a cam I28 on the outward face of gear 83 by a contracting spring I38 anchored at I32 to a fixed part and attached at its other end to a short arm I34 integral with lever I24 and extending at right angles to the extent thereof. The loom stopping rockshaft I20 has fixed on its end an arm I36 to the free end of which is pivoted a push-rod I38 slidable fore-and-aft the loom in suitable guideways (not shown) and passing through an opening I39 in the upper end of lever I 24; its rearward end carries a tooth I40 for engagement by the hook II6 when the loom is to be stopped by a fallen drop-wire, this tooth being mounted on the push-rod I38 by means of an aperture I42 formed in the tooth and through which the rod extends, and yieldingly located in the desired position through being pivoted at I44 to a member I46 clamped on the rod by means of its hub I48 and set-screw I50, a spring I52 being attached to the tooth at I54 and to member I46 by means of bolt I56, whereby the tooth I40 is held firmly but yieldingly against hub I48.

The hook H6 is adjusted by means of screw I58 bearing on shelf I60 on the lever I24, and by adjustment of a collar I62 set-screwed to lifterwire I08 below the sleeve IIO, so that uninterrupted rocking motion of driving rockshaft 53 and hence of lifter-arm 69 will lift the hook or,

the continuing forward movement of the continuously going hook I I6 will pull forward the pushrod I38 and knock off the loom.

A novel method has also been provided for removably mounting the back stop or separating bars I 63, Figs. 1 and 2, which hold the lower ends of the drop-wires against rotation with the rocking feeler-bars 23 when they fall. In accordance with this phase of the invention, the ends of the separating bars are cut to form a step at I65, and the end-frames II, I9,.of the detecting unit I are formed with slots I61 fitting closely in their width the horizontal thickness of the bars I63, having a horizontal bottom I39 and an inwardly and upwardly slanting top III, with the total clear height of the opening slightly in excess of the vertical dimension of the tallest bars I63 to be used. This arrangement makes it possible to insert the bars vertically, through merely running one end through its proper slot far enough so that the other end can descend within the end-frame nearest it, thereafter moving the bar endwise in the opposite direction until the vertical portion of the step brings up against the inward face of the adjacent endframe and the horizontal portion of its step rests upon the bottom I69 of the appropriate slot in that end-frame, the remote end automatically assuming a corresponding relation with its endframe, reversing the procedure in obvious manner to remove the bar. By this construction, the whole of the space between the inward surfaces of the end-frames is available for drop-wires, instead of having to sacrifice a certain amount of the width of the loom to provide for projecting bar-supports as heretofore, as well as greatly facilitating the removal and replacement of the bars instantly for installation of a new warp.

While I have illustrated and described certain forms in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art,

without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular forms shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but

What I do claim is:-

1. In a warp stop motion, in combination, a feeler-bar of non-circular cross-section, a cylindrical bearing block supporting an end of such bar, a bearing for such block, a movable device normally effective to prevent longitudinal removal of the bar from the block, but movable into a position permitting such removal of the bar while preventing removal of the bearing block, and stop means locating said device in such, position.

2. In a warp stop motion, in combination, at least three feeler-bars of non-circular cross-section, cylindrical bearing blocks supporting the ends of such bars, bearings for such blocks, and a device normally effective to prevent removal of both the bars and the bearing blocks and movable into a position in which it permits removal of all the bars while preventing removal of any of the bearing blocks.

3. In a warp stop motion, in combination, feeler-bars of non-circular cross-section, cylindrical bearing blocks supporting the ends of such bars, bearings for such blocks, and a device normally blocking endwise movement of a feeler-bar and its bearing-block in one direction and having an aperture through which the bar can pass and the bearing cannot, the device being movable to bring such aperture into register with the bar.

4. In a warp stop motion, in combination, drop-wires, feeler-bars, backstop bars supporting the drop-wires against movement by the feeler-bars, and an end-frame having a single plane inward face in which the feeler-bars and backstop bars are supported, the end-frame having slots therethrough, and the backstop bars having stepped end-portions received in such slots.

5. In a warp stop motion, in combination, dropwires, feeler-bars, backstop bars supporting the drop-wires against movement by the feeler-bars, and end-frames supporting the feeler-bars and backstop bars and having slots permitting passage of the backstop bars entirely through the end-frames in moving the latter bars into and out of operative position.

EDWIN W. BARRETT. 

